Campione! The Sun King of the West
by SunnyIndio
Summary: The Eighth Campione is born! But who is he? What does he want? Find out as Kusanagi Godou and his entourage journey to meet the King who could be a potential ally or dangerous adversary.
1. Prologue: Birth of a New King

Prologue

 **Crack!**

The sound of thunder shook the soaked jungle leaves. A torrential rain had begun to fall upon the battlefield. At its center, two figures could be seen. One, a young man with brown skin, his head tilted toward the heavens. His breathing was labored and his body felt as if it would break at the slightest provocation. The other was an older soul, now lying down on the forest floor with a spear, as dark as the night, piercing his chest. Despite his morbid condition he smiled, the light surrounding him slowly fading with each breath he took.

"To think that thou wouldst defeat me, how utterly absurd" coughed the man on the floor. "But it appears that mine time now is at an end, so pray tell me, how does victory feel?"

The young man did not respond. There was only one thing he felt. Emptiness.

Yet the man understood simply with one look. "Thou hast sacrificed much and while thou art the victor, the damage has already been done. What will thou doest human? Answer me." ordered the man. He wore a crown made of colorful blue and green feathers and a white tunic with gold etched rectangular patterns on it making him look like a type of priest.

"Even as you lay dying, you still retain your prideful airs" whispered the young man.

"Hmph! Human, thou shouldst learn this well. It is the nature of us, Heretic Gods; we innately understand your place in comparison to ours." He smiled and added "and yet to think thou would triumph over me jajajaja!"

"What's so funny?" growled the young man.

"It defies all logic. It upsets the natural laws of the world and yet it here we are. Now tell me Child of Man, what will you do?" questioned the Heretic God.

The young man looked down at the Heretic God and replied "I have already given my life force and I have stopped your rampage. I have no reason to do or ponder anything else."

This was the truth. The black spear had drained him of all of his life in exchange for being able to harm the god. His strength rapidly dissipating, he felt that he would collapse any minute.

The Heretic God's light slowly started to fade and he remarked "Truly a fool thou art. Thou hast attained victory against a god! A feat very few can admit to."

The young man closed his eyes and with a furrowed brow lowered his head. "I feel no triumph, only failure."

With that the young man fell to his knees. His body failing him, he could only kneel in pain.

The god sighed. "Such recklessness you've shown using that accursed spear without hesitation. Soon thou will perish human. It appears we both shall meet our end here."

The young man clenched his fists. "No…I can't let it end here." Using only his will, he forced himself to stand up on his shaking legs. "I won't let it end. There's something I still need to live for."

Upon seeing this, the god smiled warmly. He remembered, moments from death, what he had forgotten. The will of his beloved humans.

As another light began to manifest in front of the young man, the old god spoke. "Humans. The weakest of creatures yet, the strongest as well. It is only in moments of true difficulty that they surpass any limits. Be the sun. Give life to those around thou. Be what I once was. "

With that the young man thus passed out.

"Hey sleepy head! Wake up!" a voice spoke out in the distance.

"What is this feeling?" thought the young man. He felt like he was floating in a sea of nothingness. It felt calm. He could no longer feel the rain or hear the thunder. He could only hear this one voice.

"Hey! Come on! You can sleep all you want later!" The voice whined. "Hmmm…this usually wakes them up."

" ***Poke*** Wake up! ***Poke*** Come on! ***Poke*** We need to talk! ***Poke*** "

The young man opened up his eyes and saw a young lady with purple hair tied in tails that fell over her pointed ears. She wore a white regal dress. Her green eyes stood blinking over him.

The young man then spoke, "Um…who are you? And could you stop poking my cheeks together please?"

"Well, I had to resort to such crude methods due to someone not waking up." The young lady retorted folding her arms.

"Anyways….Hello! My name is Pandora, the All-Giving Woman." She spouted out happily.

"Pandora…the one from the Greek myths?" the young man softly replied.

"Yeps! That's me! But you can call me mama." the woman smiled. "But more importantly, congratulations! You have successfully slain a god!"

Just then his memories of the battle came flooding back to him and he quickly sat up.

"So that…actually happened? I thought it was a dream."

"Nope silly! You actually did what few mortals could ever do." Pandora replied.

"But then, what now? Do I get judged a heretic or something?" He looked around wondering if there was a place he would be tried for his what? His crime? His blasphemy? He didn't know what to call it.

"No no no. On the contrary, you get rewarded." Pandora replied.

"Rewarded? For slaying a god?" the young man replied in disbelief.

"Exactly! You will be reborn! You will be a Campione."

"A Campione? A champion?" the young man added in confusion.

"Yes! A Campione is an individual who has successfully slain a god and has usurped their authorities." Pandora explained.

The young man scratched his head. "Authorities? I don't understand."

"Authorities are the powers that gods hold that is a part of their identity. Thus they hold dominion over various forces in the mortal realm such as luck, speed, animals, transformations, aspects of nature and all other goodies."

The young man began to slowly understand. "So what authorities did I get?"

"Usually there is a limit of one authority per god slain but in your case you gained five. They have some restrictions or great costs for using them though."

A series of stone plated circles with various symbols etched onto their surface appeared before the young man.

"Why so many?" The young man asked, "It's not like…"

At this he paused. He remembered the fight but now remembered what led up to it. At this he spoke with a soft quiver in his voice. "You said I could call you Mama right?"

"Of course! You're always wel…" Before she could finished, he buried his head in her shoulder and he stifled a cry.

As Pandora began stroking his head, she added, "There, there, my child. You've been through so much. Take all the time you need."


	2. Chapter 1: Invitation from the West

Chapter 1

The quietness of the room was broken by a huge sigh of exasperation.

Kusanagi Godou was sitting in his room wondering how his luck could be so bad. It had been three months since defeating the King of the End and everything was turned on its head.

First off, the damage from the battle was enormous. The mountain side had still not recovered from the arrival of the King of the End and the History Compilation Committee was still working to cover up the strange occurrences that had transpired due to the troublesome god.

To make matters worse, it appeared that most of the Campiones had come to a troubling conclusion. Due to the level of the King of the End's power rising along with the number of existing Campione, they agreed on the simplest solution: reduce that number.

Magical organizations around the world had become thrown into a panic. While Campiones would bring destruction and harm when meeting each other, they would usually keep to themselves unless challenged within their territory. That dynamic was now thrown off. Now the Campiones were going to actively seek each other out to fight to the death. This was the worst case scenario for any magical organization. The mere thought was horrifying. There was a rush to make preparations for their inevitable battles. Even Amakasu-san and Kaganomiya-san had approached Godou with their concerns. The worst was still to come.

He also heard word from Lu Yinghua that even the great Luo Hao had acknowledge not only the need to get rid of other Campiones but how romantic it would be to face off against Godou as well.

Yet all of this news was made worse by tickets and the letter that lay on Godou's table.

It read:

 _Dear Kusanagi Godou-sama,_

 _We cordially invite you to have an audience with the newest Campione, the revered Sun King in Mexico. He wishes to meet you in person with the hope of peace and cooperation between our nations. He also has insisted on the accompaniment of your lovers._

 _Sincerely,_

 _The Sixth Sun Magical Organization_

Normally, the idea of making a peaceful meeting with a Campione would have been great news for him. The problem here was that this was a new Campione. A new Campione that Godou had never seen or met before and considering his past experiences with them, he could only groan.

Furthermore, this meant that once the King of the End came back he would be even stronger.

And the new Campione even went out of his way to include plane tickets for all four of the girls: Erica, Liliana, Yuri, and Ena.

And the tickets were for Friday afternoon so he would have to skip school again. He imagined his sister Shizuka finding out he was ditching school to go off to a tropical paradise with all four girls. The thought alone made him shudder.

He decided to ask Erica concerning the matter. He slipped the letter in his book bag and went off to school.

"This is certainly unexpected" commented Erica as she held the letter aloft for the other girls to read.

"For there to be yet another Campione, this is incredibly worrying" spoke Liliana.

"And furthermore…h- h-he wants Godou-san's lovers to accompany him" stuttered Mariya Yuri.

"No, that part is to be expected. This person has clearly done their research" Erica stated.

Godou could not stay silent after hearing such a statement. "Hold on! That part is a big misunderstanding!"

"Godou" Erica chimed, "are you going to keep denying that you don't see us that way after everything we've done together." She smiled mischievously.

Godou turned red in embarrassment and retorted, "Anyways, there's the issue of if I should go meet them or not."

Liliana pondered. "I think this is a trap for my master. To isolate us from any possible allies, then attack while vulnerable."

"And remember how it was reported that Mexico had been experiencing a shut down in communication as far as the magical world was concerned. It appears this king has taken a tight hold on all magical associations in the region. While other magical associations had their suspicions of a possible Campione, they were either turned away or left in the dark on the matter so it's only until now that we can confirm it" Erica explained.

Yuri look saddened "So in the end, Godou-san would be in trouble."

Godou look upon the pure young himemiko in her school uniform who was worrying about him and then said "Well then I guess I shouldn't…"

"Not so fast Godou! I think we should go." Erica proclaimed.

The other three looked at her dumbfounded.

"Erica, why would we knowingly send my master to face off against a Campione?" questioned Liliana.

"Well, two reasons. One is that we don't know who this new King is. It is best to know who your allies and enemies are. And while it is true that most of the times that Campiones meet they engage in battle, would it not be better to go there for it?" questioned Erica

Godou had become confused with Erica's reasoning. "I don't understand."

"Simply put, he is inviting us to come and meet him. If you decline, I doubt he will merely take that lightly. Chances are he'll come to Japan to search for you. And seeing as how we know by that point they would be a little angry and how Japan is really running out of monuments that have been destroyed by a certain someone…"

Godou gulped hard. He immediately understood. While he was a self proclaimed pacifist, he would defend himself if he must and most of the time, important monuments were the collateral and they'd all been his fault. He didn't want to have more guilt on his conscience than he already had.

Godou sighed, "Okay what's the second reason?"

"I'm certain that he's inviting us because we have something they need and they won't harm us so long as we have that as a bargaining tool." Erica replied in a serious tone.

"Erica-san! Are you sure it would be so wise as to go?" questioned Yuri.

"No Erica! We should avoid any battles with other Campiones!" Liliana declared.

Erica looked at both of them with a calm face. "If anything were to happen and Godou would need to fight, we would be there to support him and help him win would we not? Wouldn't a trap be more effective if we were separated? Yet this new king invited all of us." answered Erica

Both of the girls stood with contemplative faces. It seemed to make sense.

Godou stayed silent. It made sense. He knew he didn't want to endanger anything else in Japan since it had been the focal point of the previous number of battles. He also would have the girls to help him if things went awry. The only thing that worried him was fact that he didn't know who this new Campione was.

Would he be a busybody like Doni Salvatore? Would he be vicious like Marquis Voban? Would he be overly dignified like his sister Luo Hao? He didn't know and that was what made him so apprehensive.

Still, he thought, would one of his peers really be so deceitful? While there were definitely some questionable moralities among them, they all would stick to their word despite their feelings for whomever they made their promise too.

Now with that he was sure.

"Okay I've decided. We all go. If things go bad then we'll deal with it when it happens. But if there's a chance that I can make a new ally right now when other Campiones are starting to turn against each other then it would be best to take the chance."

The girls looked at Godou and nodded. "Very well, I will tell Ena and we will go with you Godou-san." Yuri answered.

"And as your knight, I too will follow my master." bowed Liliana.

"I would expect nothing less from my lover" teased Erica.

As they walked back to class Godou looked up and wondered how everything would turn out.


	3. Chapter 2: Banquets and Conversation

Chapter 2

Godou walked out into the terminal of Yucatan, Mexico. It was 3 am, the sun was nowhere in sight and Godou could only feel thankful.

The plane ride had been incredibly comfortable. The tickets were first class tickets and all the girls were seated together with him.

They were pampered and offered many fine foods and wines. Godou had to stop Erica from partaking in any alcohol.

"Ara Godou, I still don't like how you won't let me drink wine." Erica whined.

"Erica, we are still underage! We can't break the law" Godou replied.

Erica spoke "Oh really Godou? Even after we shared cups of wine during that one passionate night in Sardinia and we ended up..."

"That's not how it happened! You're twisting the facts around!" Godou stuttered.

"You always do unbecoming things don't you Godou-san." Yuri calmly accused.

"As expected from our master, the natural born lady killer." Sighed Liliana.

"Ara ara, Ena says we shouldn't fight. We've all had some special time with His Majesty." Ena happily replied.

At this both Yuri and Liliana turned away, their faces red with embarrassment. Yet, just as Godou was about to protest…

"My apologies, forgive my intrusion oh Great King. I humbly appear before you to take you and your lovers to my master, the Sun King." Bowing in front of them was a young lady with tan brown skin and black flowing hair who wore a professional black suit jacket, white blouse with a tight black skirt.

Before Godou could respond, Erica took over. "Greetings! I am Erica Blandelli, the current Diavolo Rosso and am Kusanagi Godou's number one knight and proper wife. To whom do we have the pleasure of addressing?"

The young lady straightened herself and replied "I am Laura Mares and the premier knight of the Sun King. It is a pleasure to meet the current Diavolo Rosso. I hope we work well together."

"As do I." replied Erica. Liliana interjected, "I, too, am Kusanagi Godou's knight and his Chamberlain."

"Oh I'm his Majesty's wife too!" chimed Ena. Yuri firmly replied "I am also Kusanagi Godou's companion."

The young lady looked slightly surprised and whispered "So the rumors were true." She regained her composure and then addressed them "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I will be in your care."

Everyone replied, "and we will be in yours."

Godou could only sigh. This young lady obviously misunderstood the relationship these girls had with him.

Erica proceeded ahead to chat with Laura while Godou and the others followed.

Godou asked Liliana "So what do you think so far? It seems okay doesn't it?"

Liliana responded "there doesn't seem to be any ill will from her. If anything I saw a bit of fear in her face. Perhaps she…" and her voice trailed off.

Godou look confused. It was true the young lady avoided eye contact with him when speaking but why did Liliana stop talking? "What is it Liliana?" Yuri asked.

Liliana proceeded to whisper at Yuri and Ena. Then all three turned to look at Godou with worrying eyes and all sighed.

"Ena hopes his Majesty won't do that. After all, that girl is the knight of this country's king."

"Yet if she's is offered to gain favor with him…" pondered Liliana.

"But Godou would never accept. Unless she is willing…" Yuri's voice trailed off.

All of them began to look dejected. Godou started to panic. "Please give me a break. I'm not the womanizer you think I am. Don't let you imaginations run wild!"

They then merely looked straight ahead without saying a word. Already this whole trip was off to a rocky start, Godou thought. He hoped that meeting this Campione would be worth it.

They loaded up in a fancy van and were quickly driven outside the city into the jungle.

The jungle was filled with lush trees and vegetation. They could see various colorful birds, jaguars blending into the foliage and other types of local animals despite the lack of sun.

They were so enraptured by the sights outside the window that they didn't say much. But then Godou remembered he hadn't gotten the details about their destination.

"So where exactly are we going?" Godou asked Erica.

Erica had been the one to get all the details from Laura. "We're going to Chichen Itza, a historical monument to meet the new King."

"Chichen Itza? What is that?" questioned Yuri.

"It is a great pre-Columbian Mayan city. We are going to one of the sites, El Castillo. Apparently, it's one of his favorite monuments." Erica replied.

"The Castle? So is it like the ones in Europe?" asked Godou.

"No, not exactly" replied Liliana as she found a brochure in one of the armrests. "It's actually a pyramid-like structure. It's also known as the Temple of Kukulkan."

"Kuku…what now?" Ena inquired.

Liliana began to clarify. "Kukulkan, it appears to be some type of Mayan god. It…"

"We have arrived!" announced Laura. They all got out the van.

It was a sight to behold. In front of them stood a white gray rectangular pyramid with rising steps on its four sides. At the top there stood a boxed temple with stone pillars that greeted the entrance. The sides were decorated with stone slab handrails in the shape of snakes and rectangular blocks that were equally spaced between each other. All of it was surrounded by a luscious green landscape. And as the sun began to rise, and the light shown behind the structure, at the very top stood a man. A young man of tanned brown skin with arms stretched out. And the man spoke.

"Welcome King Kusanagi! I am elated that you have decided to join me in cooperation and brotherhood!" The voice of the man boomed throughout the area.

"How am I supposed to talk to him from up there? I can't possibly yell up at him." Kusanagi pondered.

Yet within an instant a soft breeze blew and the man was suddenly behind them.

"My apologies for being so out of reach. My name is Ernesto Juárez. I am the Sun King of Mexico!"

The young man wore a white collar dress shirt with the top buttoned loose, white cotton pants, black dress shoes, a purple vest and a purple bandana wrapped around his neck. He was short but physically healthy and his eyes hid what seemed to be a dangerous fighting spirit.

"Oh um it's nice to meet you. My name is Kusanagi Godou. I will be in your care" Godou replied.

"Ah and these are your famed lovers?" Ernesto asked.

Before Godou could protest, Erica step forward, bowed, and introduce herself. "I am Erica Blandelli. Kusanagi Godou's premier knight and wife. I am honored to meet the newest Campione."

"Ahhh the current Diavolo Rosso? I've heard that you are quite capable in combat." Ernesto commented.

"To have the Sun King know of my exploits is an honor indeed" Erica humbly spoke.

Liliana approached the Sun King next. Bowing she stated "I am Liliana Kranjcar! I am Kusanagi Godou's knight was well."

The Sun King recognized her. "Ahhh the Grand Knight from the Bronze Black Cross in Italy? The one said to be a prodigy? My, my, to have opposing sects and both prodigies united under you, King Kusanagi, this is quite interesting."

Liliana hid her shock. This man seemed pretty well informed about them. "I express my awe at your knowledge of both Erica and I."

The Sun King laughed "Ahh no need. I would obviously want to get to know the people I'd be working with correct?"

Liliana stepped back and now the young Japanese himemikos came forward and bowed. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance honored Sun King. I am Mariya Yuri, Kusanagi Godou's companion."

"And I am his wife as well. My name is Ena Seishuiin, the himemiko of the sword" Ena promptly replied.

"Ahhh two Japanese himemikos? King Kusanagi you are quite the man!"

"Ahh could you please just call me by my name? There's no need to add King to it." Godou requested.

"Ahh very well Kusanagi-san. Then you may call me by my name. Anyways, I am wondering, while I see how you would meet knights, when did these lovely Japanese maidens make your acquaintance?"

This time Ena responded. "We came to serve Our Majesty through our own volition and the aid of our magical organization."

"Ahh so these ladies were presented to you as lovers is that right?"

Godou started to turn red from embarrassment. "Please don't misunderstand Ernesto-san! They are…!"

"Oh don't get embarrassed. It happens to all of us. It even happened to me" replied Ernesto.

At this, everyone slowly turned their gaze to Laura. She flinched at being the center of attention.

Godou began to say, "So does that mean that Laura is…?"

Ernesto was quick to reply "Oh no, Laura is merely my personal knight who joined me under my own accord. Still other organizations were very persistent in presenting possible lovers to gain favor over me."

"Oh so how did it work out? Did you ask them to stop?"

"Well I did ask them to stop. They didn't and kept at it. So then I thought of the simplest solution."

"And what would that be?" Godou curiously asked.

Ernesto replied as he began walking. "I destroyed them of course."

At this a slight chill ran down everyone's spine. Godou began wondering if he had made the right decision.

"Well I'm sure everyone is tired. If you board the van you will be taken to your hotel. I will meet with you during the afternoon Kusanagi-san. If you have any questions, please ask Laura. Thank you."

With that a breeze blew and the Sun King was gone.

"I wonder if that's one of his authorities" thought Godou.

Yuri came up to Godou and asked "Godou-san, what do you want to do? Stay here and explore or go the hotel?"

Godou looked at the young himemiko and saw the slight fatigue in her face. He knew Yuri would not be able to explore the old city with them so he made a decision. "I think we should go to the hotel. We should rest. We will probably be able to explore this place later on."

Yuri's eyes lit up and she nodded. Erica spoke "Yes. We should go back to the hotel. Now, Godou and I can share a bed together."

Yuri became flustered. "You mustn't do such things Erica-san! That is highly unbecoming!"

Ena raced over. "No! Your Majesty! Have me instead! I wish to rest in the same bed as you!"

"As your Grand Chamberlain, I cannot lose to Erica" declared Liliana. Then in a soft voice she whispered "if you would not mind me sharing a bed with you."

"Ena-san! Liliana-san! Geez!" pouted Yuri. Then she shyly said "I suppose I would also enjoy being with Godou-san a bit more."

All the girls crowded around him. "Ne, who are you going to choose Godou?" Erica asked.

This was too much. Their supple tender bodies were pushing up against him from all sides. Godou could only think "Why does this always happen to me?"

In the end, the girls compromised and decided they would all rest with Godou. What was worse is the Sun King had specifically accommodated Godou's entourage with a master bedroom and a luxurious bed. Only one bed. Needless to say while the girls slept, Godou could not sleep at all. There were too many sensations but, he willed himself through it.

Their hotel was overlooking a beautiful beach front with the waves softly cascading along the shore. The sun was shining and it was quite idyllic.

The Sun King had given them much to do. He had a volleyball net installed in the sand, he had a local restaurant serving Godou's entourage anything they wanted. They had shaded areas and hammocks and the place was completely barren of tourists. They even provided them with swimwear that fit them perfectly.

"Now I am worried. How the heck did they know what sizes we all were?" exclaimed Godou.

"That would be my doing." Erica answered. "Laura simply asked what we would like and I gave her the specifics."

Yuri spoke, "To think Erica-san could accurately guess all of our sizes. I feel a bit embarrassed."

"Ena is impressed. You knew the perfect fit for all of us." Ena declared.

Yet the only one who was not part of the conversation was Liliana. She was quietly staring out into the sea with a pondering face. Her alabaster skin glowed in the sunlight. Her fairy-like visage was complemented by her tender, slender body. Godou approached her.

"What are you thinking about?" Godou asked.

"I'm still wondering what it is the Sun King wants from us."

"Well he said that he wanted cooperation between the both of us. I think it's safe to assume that is his goal."

"No, Kusanagi Godou. I feel that is merely a front to get you here. Everything that he has provided us so far is to warm us up. To let down our guard. We must be vigilant." Liliana firmly stated.

"I agree with Lily. While this has been very pleasant so far, I know that the Sun King will want something substantial in return. Still, I don't think the offer of cooperation is a farce." Erica affirmed.

Godou was taken aback. He hadn't really given the whole trip much thought since he got here. "You girls are right. I really should be on guard. We still don't know what kind of guy Ernesto-san is. Thanks Liliana."

Liliana's face began to turn pink. "Of course! A knight should always be looking out for her Master. It is to be expected."

"But Godou! If you put your guard up, how will we go further in our relationship?" Erica quickly wrapped herself around his arm, tightly pushing her body against his. Her tanned body was glistening and she gave Godou a devilish smile.

"What are you doing Erica?! This is improper! Stop!" Godou tried to break away from her hold but alas he could not. She held on to him with enchanted strength.

"Ena wants to take the next step in her relationship with his Majesty too!" Ena ran up and took hold of his other arm.

With the supple bodies of Erica and Ena pressing against him, Godou was becoming overwhelmed.

"Erica! Ena! Please stop! They're pressing up against me!" cried Godou.

"Ara" Erica pressed herself against him even further "what is pressing up against you Godou?"

Ena also did the same "Ena doesn't want to lose to Erica-san!"

At that moment, someone else spoke.

"Oh King Kusanagi I am here to…to..." Laura's voice trailed off as she gazed upon the sight of lovers entangled amongst themselves. She quickly turned around and nervously spoke. "Th-th-the Sun King wishes for you to meet him at the seaside restaurant at noon. P-p-please go there when it is time. Thank you!"

Godou opened his mouth but before he could say anything, she ran off. At that, he hung his head low.

"How could I possibly clear this up with her?" lamented Godou.

Erica looked Godou in the eyes and simply said "Godou you already have us. There is no need to worry about other women. Have I not told you all you will ever need is me?" Then she firmly grasped his arm and with a dangerous smile added, "Furthermore, I will not tolerate you letting another woman joining our ranks!"

Ena looked more unsure. "Ena would not like his Majesty to get another girl. But if his Majesty does..I…"

Her voice trailed off and she began to squirm in discomfort at the thought.

Yuri looked down dejectedly and whispered "Are you going to do that Godou-san?"

Liliana only sighed and looked away.

"You girls really think I'm a lady killer huh?"

They responded in unison. "Yes!"

Noon came and they headed over to the restaurant. They were led to a big tropical dining room by the restaurant owner, a frail but kind old lady.

"Please have a seat everyone. I do hope you enjoy this meal." The old lady gently smiled.

Immediately, other employees started to fill the table with various dishes. They brought lobster, ribs, steak, rice, beans, tacos, shrimp, fish and various other delicacies.

After admiring the food, Godou turned to the old lady and asked "So what kind of guy is the Sun King?"

The old lady responded "He is a very good man. He really cares for the indigenous people around here. He helps us with our businesses and keeps us safe from criminals and bad organizations."

Godou was surprised. Since he heard that the Sun King had destroyed magical associations that had irritated him, he thought he would be a strict king. But for him to care about his subjects, Godou really appreciated knowing that.

"Still he is not completely without fault. The young king has something that weighs heavy on his heart. I hope one day he can let it go. Well, look at me babbling about. Everyone enjoy your meal!"

As the old lady left, Laura entered and sat next to Ena on the side furthest from Godou. Godou could only curse the various misunderstandings the young lady had made about him.

"Ahem! The Sun King will be with us shortly. I ask you to please be patient and wait for him before you start eating."

"Awwhhh! The food looks so good though!" Ena replied. "I think the Sun King wouldn't mind if we ate a bit now would he?" Ena looked pleadingly at Laura.

"Umm…well….all of you are our guests so…" she shyly replied.

"Have no fear! Dig in! This feast is for my guests. Eat, eat!" The Sun King had finally arrived.

Everyone happily filled their plates. Erica and Ena were graciously yet, rapidly devouring and savoring the meal.

"Geez Erica, sometimes you really have no manners!" Liliana chastised.

"Ara Lily! The food is extremely delicious. Would a young woman really let this opportunity of sampling the finest of Mexican cuisine go to waste?" Erica smirked.

Godou turned his gaze towards the Sun King and asked "Ernesto-san, I really would like to talk to you about this alliance of ours."

The Sun King smiled and responded, "Of course Kusanagi-san! But let's wait until after we eat. There's no need to rush is there?"

Godou smiled back "You're right. This food is delicious!"

The Sun King commented, "I do hope so. The restaurant owner, Maria, is a very sweet lady and her cooks are some of the best in Yucatan."

After a couple of plates had been finished, Godou inquired. "So Ernesto-san, how long have you been a Campione?"

"It has been three months since I became a Campione." The Sun King replied.

The girls listened in on the conversation. "So you're the eighth Campione now. We really have a lot of Campiones in this era." Liliana added.

"Indeed." Replied the Sun King as Godou finished his meal. "Well, would it trouble you if we talked business now that you've finished your food?"

"No, not at all" Godou answered "I have a couple questions I want to ask you as well."

"Well go ahead and ask me first then Kusanagi-san."

"Are you truly interested in an alliance with me?" Godou asked.

"Of course. I have meant it each time I have said it."

"But why me? I mean I'm very grateful that you would consider me first but I still wonder why?"

"The simplest answer is that from the limited knowledge I know about our kin, you are the most friendly and approachable."

Liliana interjected "But there is another reason isn't there, Sun King?"

The Sun King turned his gaze to Liliana with interest.

Erica added "Excuse Liliana, she can be a bit abrasive at times. But could I possibly guess this reason, oh Sun King?" The Sun King nodded. 

"You wish to gain information from us, is that correct?" Erica questioned.

At this the Sun King expressed amusement "Jejeje Kusanagi-san your women are very sharp! You are correct, Diavolo Rosso, I do seek information from you."

"Well what information are you searching for?" questioned Godou.

"Well let me explain myself further Godou-san. My reasons for contacting you are actually three. The first is your approachable demeanor. The second is that you do have very valuable information. And third and most importantly, you have met either in battle or as allies, our other kin."

At this Godou became perplexed. Why did it matter that he met all the other Campione?

"Let me clarify Kusanagi-san. Three months ago before I became a Campione, you battled a famed warrior known as the King of the End. You proved victorious in ascertaining his name and were able to abate his destruction of our world."

Godou recalled the blonde haired warrior of steel. He realized how knowing his identity would be useful to the Sun King.

"Such an individual poses a huge detriment to our existence and has further fueled the animosity that has arisen among our kin. It would be wise then to ally myself with you, who have been able to attain victory and aid you to make sure we continue living."

Godou understood. It was a simple thought of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Furthermore, knowing that he won the battle and kept the King of the End at bay instead of any of the other Campione besides his sworn Nee-san, Luo Hao, it would be ideal to make connection with such a person.

And while he cared for his Nee-san, he could see how trying to get her to comply with an alliance would be difficult especially for a new Campione.

"So if you could indulge me, please recount all you know about the King of the End." The Sun King asked.

Godou began to explain the origins of the King of the End, the role of the Divine Ancestors in his resurrection, the need for an earth goddess' essence to be sacrificed, the identity of his protector made of wind and steel, his powers and his true name. As he was about to mention specifics on the battle, a sharp look from Erica and Liliana made him omit such details.

He remembered that he shouldn't openly explain his powers and Authorities despite the cooperative demeanor of Ernesto.

"Ahh I see. This has been very helpful Kusanagi-san. I am indebted to you. We will stay in contact so that should the King of the End return, you can count on me to join you to defeat him once more."

"Thanks!" Godou then remembered one other detail he had been wondering about. "By the way, why was it important for me to have met all the other Campione?"

"I'm glad you asked. Since I came to power three months ago, I issued an incommunicado on the entire state of Mexico." The Sun King replied.

"I understood very quickly that the news of a new Campione would only exacerbate relations between the other Kings and open up Mexico for attack from them. Having only a few Authorities, I decided to bide my time and gain more to prepare for a possible assault. During this time, while hardly any information leaked out from the magic community here, information did not flow in."

"So you were left in the dark about everything else that had happened before you became a Campione." Godou commented.

"Exactly. As such I compiled the small bits of biographical information that I could get from all the Campiones. Unfortunately, due to the offering of women to gain my favor and my subsequent destruction of those organizations, I rid myself of more valuable informational sources."

At this Laura sighed and added "You didn't need to completely destroy their headquarters." The Sun King coughed hiding his embarrassment.

Erica interjected "Oh I see. So you then created your own magical association but since you were essentially cut off from everyone else you were put in a disadvantageous position."

"Exactly. Though luck shined on me when I heard of a Campione to the East that wished for peace above anything else."

Godou smiled "I'm glad you believed me. Everyone else tends to think of me as a monster of destruction."

"Even though that **is** what you are Godou." Erica chided.

"Anyways, I would like to ask all of you to tell us about the other Campiones." The Sun King requested.

He proceeded to describe the Campiones.

"Let's see. Well the one I know more closely is Nee-san."

"Who?" asked the Sun King.

"Luo Hao. She is the Campione of China known by many other names such as Luo Cullian, High Priestess Luo Hao, and The Ruler of the Martial Realm to name a few" Erica explained.

"Yeah. She is a bit of a handful. She tends to demand the utmost respect and will look down on you unless you prove yourself to be worthy of her respect."

The Sun King questioned "So you had a contest of power with her, Kusanagi-san?"

"Yeah it was hard to tell you the truth. But once you get to know her, she is a sweet person."

"Something Godou fails to mention is that Her Eminence Luo Hao is a master in martial arts and is extremely dangerous even without her authorities."

"I see. This is very informative. Anything else?"

"She does view other humans as beneath her. If Campiones have to fight to gain her respect you can imagine how humans measure up."

"I see" replied the Sun King. He turned to Laura and added "I guess will have to give you a crash course on proper etiquette."

At this Laura could only sigh. "Fine." The Sun King then spoke "I also heard you know Doni Salvatore very well, as you are a friend of his."

Godou became slightly irritated at the presumption. "I am not his friend. He just says that to everyone. He really is the dumbest person I've ever met. He does whatever he wants without concern for the consequences. He truly is what you would consider a full blown idiot."

This time Liliana spoke up "Yet once again, what Godou fails to mention is that while it cannot be argued that Lord Salvatore Doni is a carefree and irresponsible moron, he is a genius in martial arts with his specialty being swordsmanship."

Godou then added "Be careful. Once he finds out you exist and crosses paths with you, he will want to fight you and will do whatever he can to make sure a fight happens."

The Sun King nodded, "Understood. I will be wary of this Campione. Anyone else I should be wary of?"

Godou found a simple answer. "Alexander Gascoigne. He is probably one of the worst Campiones I've met so far."

"Hmmm how so?" asked the Sun King.

Godou launched into a tirade "He steals things without permission. He's arrogant, smug, and a rampant barbarian. You have to really be careful around him as he will be savage but only when he knows he will win. He will set up traps and turn the tables around really quickly. And he doesn't have much of a regard for the trouble he stirs up. He creates problems and just leaves them there without solving them." His mind remembered the difficulties from his use of the Heavenly Halberd.

"Well he sounds like quite the troublesome individual."

Erica chimed in "Still the Black Prince is a lot like you Godou." At this Godou vehemently denied any similarities.

"We are not alike at all!" Godou protested.

"Oh really? Aren't you both intelligent, have organizations at your beck and call, are foolish yet, deny being like other Campiones?" questioned Erica.

"Of course not! He's much worse than I am!" Godou retorted grumpily as Erica chuckled.

"Now now, we don't need to get worked up. I'll definitely make sure to be on my guard should the Black Prince make his way anywhere in my territory" the Sun King calmly spoke.

"Sorry about that. He's just someone I can't quite stand." Godou apologized.

"Don't worry. What about the Marquis? I've heard he is quite a piece of work."

"Out of all the Campiones, he is probably one of the worst." Erica replied. "While others do have their major flaws, the Duke is more devilish than most. He cares only to satisfy his desire to battle worthy opponents which usually means battling powerful gods."

Godou further added "Yeah that old man really is a hunter in all respects. He looks wise and intelligent but trust me, there's a real monster that hides behind that elderly face."

"So you've fought him as well?" asked the Sun King.

This time, Mariya joined the conversation "Yes, I was taken away by the Duke for a ritual to summon a God."

"Ahh the Ritual of Beseeching." The Sun King added.

"You know of it?" replied Liliana.

The Sun King slowly nodded. Laura interjected, "There was an organization that was utilizing it to bring back Heretic Gods to Mexico. We were able to stop them but…"

She turned to look at Ernesto. "The damage they did was already done."

"Very well, I will definitely be watching for the Duke's possible arrival and interference with my country" the Sun King replied.

Ena then spoke "There is still one other Campione you need to be careful around. Madam Aisha."

Godou said "Now I don't think she's that bad…"

"Godou, did you forget the fact that you were sent back in time to Europe without a legitimate way to return to the present time where you fought a Campione of that era and the King of the End?" Erica asked.

Godou gulped. "Okay so it wasn't a good situation, I'll admit it. But she isn't a bad person. She has good intentions."

"And that is exactly why she is dangerous" replied Liliana. "She does things with the best of intentions but they usually end up worsening various situations."

Mariya also added "And she's also unable to control her authorities correct?"

Ena replied "Yes, most of her authorities cause great problems for the populace around them. Even Erica and I fell under the charm of one of her authorities."

"Hmmm…a Campione that can go back in time…Thank you for telling me such important information." The Sun King replied.

"Then I guess the only fellow that is left is John Pluto Smith. He…" Godou started

The Sun King quickly and briskly responded, "There is no need to tell me about that one. I have everything I need to know about that particular King."

"Oh" Godou said slightly taken aback, "Okay just wanted to tell you since you asked about all the Campiones I've met."

At this a member of the Sixth Sun came in and whispered in the Sun King's ear. His brow furrowed and then he spoke "I appreciate everything you have told me. If you know the authorities these other Kings have, then please tell Laura about them. Anything that can inform me on what they can do would be greatly appreciated. Now you must excuse me for I have some urgent business to attend to." He then disappeared with a gust of wind.

"Hmmm I hope it's nothing too bad. I'd like to help if I could." Godou commented.

Laura replied, "There is no need for you to worry. This is something that is very important to him. It would probably be best if he faced this alone…"

She said this yet her eyes looked worrying at the night sky. She turned herself back to face the girls. "So if you do know about the authorities of the other Campiones I would greatly appreciate you telling me."

As the girls started delving into details, Godou only wondered what it was that upset the Sun King so. He felt that for a brief instance he saw a face of savagery and fury on the otherwise calm, warm face of the Sun King.


	4. Chapter 3: The God He Slew

Chapter 3 

She hadn't seen it coming. **Swoosh!** An obsidian arrow had pierced her chest and now she could feel her life ebbing away. She stumbled through the jungle with the hope of finding someone.

"It has been a while since I've been in this part of the world." She remarked.

It was Annie Charlton and she was in a pitiful state. "To think Asherah's organization would get the best of me." Annie shook her head. "I should be more careful. Still I didn't think they had access to something like this."

Annie had been chased by various divine beasts after a battle with a Heretic God in Los Angeles. Try as she did, she was forced to use her Authorities to defend herself causing a ruckus on her journey to southern Mexico. Still, she had had the freeshooter until recently.

The black arrow came from a mountain top and struck her as she ran through the underbrush. The hit blew her back and made her drop her gun. Now she was essentially defenseless.

"Grrrh I'm too weak to go to the Netherworld, all my authorities are either used up or I am unable to use them. I need to get to sanctuary fast before my would-be pursuer catches up with me." Annie mumbled.

Deeper in the jungle, unbeknownst to Annie, Godou and the girls were exploring Chichen Itza.

"Why did we decide to come here at night?" questioned Godou.

"I felt it would be nice to be embracing as we witnessed the sunrise." Erica replied.

"I had to make sure Godou-san didn't do anything unbecoming here." Replied Mariya.

"I am merely protecting my master as a knight should." Liliana responded.

"Ena just wanted to get out the hotel and explore!" Ena proclaimed.

All Godou could do was sigh. He didn't really want to explore the area while it was dark out. Though there were some lights, it did have a bit of an ominous feeling. With the Sun King absent and Laura leaving to assist him after talking with the girls, they were kind of on their own. There was no one around so it was just them wandering the ruins of the once great civilization.

Godou decided to take a seat. Despite the great treatment he received, he was pretty exhausted. Still, he was glad he came. He was able to make a new ally and it looked to be very promising.

"Your Majesty! I am going to stretch my legs and explore the surrounding jungle." Ena told Godou. With that she jumped off into the tree lines.

"Hmmm I wonder if there is anything interesting in there." Godou asked himself.

At that a sweet, seductive voice whispered "I think there is something much more interesting here Godou."

Godou jumped and turned to run but it was too late. Erica already had grabbed a hold of him and now he could not escape.

"Ara ara Godou you are such a tease. Really, we've hardly had any alone time." Erica whined.

"Don't we see each other enough? At school and with all our travels?" Godou asked.

"But still, I want to our love to grow." Erica spoke as she drew her face closer. "Nee Godou, with a beautiful moon out tonight you wouldn't keep me from kissing you now would you?" She whispered.

Godou gulped. Her pristine blue eyes were staring right into his. He could feel her breath on his lips. He felt her hands and chest as she wrapped herself around him. Just as he was about to admit defeat…

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" Ena yelled as she jumped out of the forest. She was carrying someone in her arms. Liliana and Mariya ran over. Godou and Erica looked. 

"Isn't that…Annie Charlton? John Pluto Smith's assistant?! What happened?" Godou cried.

Being held aloft by both Ena and Liliana, the young lady with short red hair and in proper business attire was covered in blood with a black arrow through her chest. Her breathing was shallow and her face was pale.

"Kusanagi Godou, what are you doing here?" Annie croaked.

"We could ask you the same question!" Godou replied as he and Erica started to run over. Yet another voice joined in the conversation.

"Stop Kusanagi-san!" the voice yelled. From out of the forest emerged the Sun King along with Laura in tow.

"Ernesto-san! We need to get her to safety back in the hotel!" Godou exclaimed.

"That will not be necessary Kusanagi-san. I am sorry you had to be here to be a part of this but, I digress. Please hand over that young lady over there." The Sun King replied.

"Not necessary? What do you mean? In this state, she'll soon die." Godou retorted.

"That is the point. Now please hand her over so it can be done with." The Sun King coldly responded.

Godou and the girls faces all became bewildered. Why would the Sun King want to kill Annie?

"Why do you want to kill her?! She's just a normal person!" Godou yelled.

"Ahh in that respect you are actually wrong." The Sun King spoke.

Annie weakly questioned "What do you mean?"

"I think we both know what I mean…John Pluto Smith!" roared the Sun King.

Everyone looked at the Sun King in shock. "She's not a Campione! She's a normal mage! She's only his assistant! Either way, John Pluto Smith is a MAN!" Godou responded.

"So you think I'm wrong? Then let me prove it. You there! Himemiko! Try and heal her with your magic." The Sun King commanded.

Mariya suddenly snapped back into reality and proceeded to use her healing magic on Annie. With each attempt her magic was dispelled.

"This…this can't be. What's happening? Why isn't it working Annie?" Mariya questioned franticly.

The others looked on in shock as every attempt proved futile.

"So Annie is a Campione? She's John Pluto Smith? But how?" wondered Godou. Yet he remembered how soft and gentle Smith's hands were, like that of a woman.

"Well now that we can agree that this person is not an ordinary person, hand her over." The Sun King replied.

"Of course not! Not if you're going to kill her! Why would you even do that, Ernesto-san?!" 

"I have my reasons Kusanagi-san. Now I will ask again, hand her over."

Annie weakly pushed herself up on her legs and spoke "Who the hell are you and why do you want to kill me? I don't even know you."

"You may not know me but I know you very well." As he spoke, he summoned a maquahuitl, a club with black shards of bladed obsidian at its edges. "I am the new Campione that will see to it that you meet your demise." He charged toward Annie.

Godou cried to his right arm "Ama no Murakumo!"

Immediately, the black blade manifested itself in Ena's hand. **Clang!** She had intercepted the Sun King's charge.

"I see." The Sun King leaped backwards and shouted to Godou. "Kusanagi-san! I ask that you stand aside in this issue. I have my reasons and justice will be served. I do not wish to harm you or your lovers."

"Sorry Ernesto-san but Annie over there has helped me before and I'm not about to let you take her life, no matter the reason. I will fight to protect her!"

The Sun King face darkened and he spoke "Very well then. I shall crush anyone who dares stand in my way!"

Yet Godou planned for this. In his mind, he spoke to Ama no Murakumo. "Tell Ena to call my name when Ernesto-san attacks. That way I can get there before he gets to Annie."

"Understood." Replied Ama no Murakumo.

As the Sun King charged forward Ena yelled "Your Majesty! Ena asks you to come now! Kusanagi Godou!"

With a gust of wind Godou immediately intercepted the Ernesto-san. But something as different. He felt lighter and quicker.

"What is this?!" cried out Ernesto-san. Godou moved quickly and swiftly, dodging Ernesto's strikes and blocking him from getting to Annie.

Ena and Liliana looked on in surprise. "What authority is this?" Liliana asked.

"Ena says that Ama no Murakumo has fused with the Tempest authority to create a new battle form!" Ena replied excitedly.

Indeed it was a new fusion authority. Ama no Murakumo's black blade transformed Godou and itself into living wind. Ernesto was left surprised.

"So now you can move like the wind. No matter, that doesn't mean I can't go after my quarry!" cried Ernesto as he lunged after Annie.

 **Slash!** A gash opened up on Ernesto's back. Godou had made a cut to stop him. As Ernesto-san jumped away to avoid a follow-up attack, Godou spoke.

"Back down Ernesto-san! Don't force me to use my sword of wind anymore or else I will take you down!"

At this Ernesto began to laugh. "Jajajaja indeed that sword will be incredibly troublesome if it sticks around." Ernesto's eyes quickly glowed green and faded back.

"Then let us level the playing field shall we?" At this comment Ernesto began to glow, building up his magical energy.

He began to chant _**"From gentle breeze to violent gale, my enemies shall cower before me. Grant me the invulnerability of the wind and a million opportunities to strike!"**_

Instantly a violent hurricane manifested around everyone. Ernesto disappeared!

"Where did he go?" pondered Godou. "Watch out King!" yelled Ama no Murakumo. He was able to swing just as Ernesto manifested himself behind Godou and swung his maquahuitl.

"Did you think you were the only one with a wind authority?" mocked Ernesto with a grin.

"Let's go Ama no Murakumo!" yelled Godou. They both vanished into the wind, with only the clashing of their weapons being able to be heard.

"I can't see them at all" Erica yelled as she ran over to Ena, Liliana, Mariya and Annie. Liliana and Ena surrounded Annie who was lying on the ground being tended to by Mariya. Both had their weapons, Il Maestro and a copy of Ama no Murakumo out. They needed to make sure Ernesto couldn't use his authority to attack her successfully.

"Ena thinks they are becoming wind and then becoming whole again to strike." Ena replied.

"I think you are right, I feel they are teleporting everywhere in this storm." Liliana added.

 **Clang! Swish! Slash!** The Campiones were swinging at each other, cutting each other's skin. They stopped for a brief moment. Godou was covered in scratches along his arms and legs. Ernesto had deep gashes along his back and chest.

Ernesto-san spoke "To think you could injure me at all is impressive Kusanagi Godou."

Godou was worried. He kept seeing Ernesto's eyes glow green every time he landed a strike. He felt an ominous feeling each time he saw them.

"Seeing as we're equally matched, can you just give up?! I don't want to keep fighting you!" Godou yelled.

"Normally I would agree but…" Ernesto took out a vial and drunk it. His wounds began to close and heal. Godou stared in shock.

He began raising his magical energy as he spoke "…You are keeping me from making sure she pays for what she did. And I can't allow that anymore. Let's end this!"

Godou prepared himself and transformed into wind to rush at Ernesto. Ernesto smiled and Godou realized he made a mistake.

" _ **Oh Ehecatl, trap him in your divine coil! Let him be bound by the very air that surrounds him. Let the gusts entangle him and make him submit!"**_

With that chant, the hurricane became a tornado and at its center laid Godou, trapped.

"What?!" Godou could not move. "We are trapped King. I cannot influence this wind at all." Said Ama no Murakumo.

"Godou!" yelled the girls. Erica and Ena rushed forward to help him but were blocked by another figure.

"I am sorry my friends but I cannot allow you to interfere any further." The one who spoke was Laura who now stood in full old time guerilla clothes with a long red skirt, a black blouse with a belt of crisscrossing armor rounds crossing her chest.

"I must protect his Majesty!" Ena cried. "As a knight, I must protect my master!" yelled Erica.

"So must I!" Laura responded. She manifested a blue staff with spiral designs that ended at a hardened sapphire orb at one end and a carved snake head on the other.

As Erica and Ena charged at her, she began to chant.

" _ **And the priests saw her rise from the waters, they saw her descend from the mountains. They heard her weeping and screaming. And the priests understood. It was the prophecy that made Moctezuma tremble. Foreign men will come from the Orient. They will subjugate you and your people and your race will be devoured and disappear. That is why the goddess Cihuacoalt wanders the Anahuac, crying tears and shouldering sadness, yelling to those who can hear, the suffering that is to come soon to the Empire. Protector of our race, aid me! That my blood shall not be spilled in vain! That your waters should come alive to defend me from my enemies!"**_

At once the carved snakes tongue became a water whip. **Crack! Crack!** She aimed at Erica's and Ena's faces. They instinctively jumped back.

"That spell! Could it be possible?" Erica exclaimed.

"Yes! In order to protect my master I will make my weapon the most dangerous. Prepare yourself for the whip that can harm even the gods!" Laura yelled as she charged both of them.

"Then I must match you!" Erica replied. She raised her sword and spoke _**"Eli Eli lama sabachthani? Oh Lord, why hast thou forsaken me? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, I am not silent.**_ __ _ **But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of wild oxen! I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee!"**_ The Cuore di Lione then became imbued with the Golgotha spell.

With the three girls began to battle. Erica would swing her and stab sword but Laura deflected it. Ena jumped behind her and swung but was parried by the water whip. **Clang! Swish! Crack!** Despite their teamwork, Laura was able to hold them at bay.

"Grrrrh! Ena doesn't like that whip!" Ena pouted loudly.

"Tsk! It's really troublesome. It shields her from openings." Erica complained.

Yet before they could say more, they heard Ernesto's voice.

" _ **To end you listen to my words. I am the justice that punishes the evil. I am the light that drives away the darkness!"**_

At this Ernesto's maquahuitl extended and became a huge maquahuitl of light. Ernesto continued.

"The sword you wield is a divine sword originally wielded by Susanoo."

With his words the light from his giant maquahuitl brightened.

"Wait" Godou spoke. "This can't mean you have…you have the power to slice through my authorities?!"

"It is a sword that embodies steel and wind. Used by Susanoo, a god that is deeply connected to steel. From his territory, iron sand would be created. He is also the god of storms for he creates a strong enough wind that can bond iron. And iron can be melted by raging fire that is fed by air! The sword you wield is the sword of Kusanagi. It is Ama no Murakumo!"

The Maquahuitl began to glow bright as the sun. Godou looked at Ernesto in shock.

"Looks like this is the end, Kusanagi-san!" Ernesto yelled out.

A twisted grin shown on Godou's face. "I am not going down this easily!" Though still trapped in the vortex, he focused his magic, raised his left arm in the air and chanted _**"Come to me, for victory!"**_

The clouds parted and a sun appeared in the eastern sky. It appeared that while Ernesto was a good king to some of his subjects, the damage he had done to organizations in his country made him a sufficient sinner.

" _ **Immortal Sun, lend me a quick, shining steed. Fire of the Sun that dispels the dark, may it engulf you!"**_

From the eastern sun emerged the White Stallion. It descended heading right for Ernesto. **Blast!** The horse collided with the Maquahuitl and began to slowly overtake it. Godou then looked down and became confused. Ernesto was smiling.

"It is a shame that you have such an authority over the sun. Today is not your lucky day!" His eyes began to glow green and he spoke "The god you usurped this power from was a god of many incarnations. The white stallion represents his relationship to the sun since his master was said to have carried the sun across the sky in a horse drawn chariot!"

"This can't be!" Godou thought. "How is he able to see through my authorities?!"

"The god you slew was Verethragna, the Persian god of victory. Shame be upon you, Ama no Murakumo, to be seeking salvation from the sun that your master once enraged. Sword of steel, your hypocrisy ends here!"

With that he began to chant, _**"Cursed be you who stands on the throne. You, who were once righteous, now corrupt. Your time of rule is at its end. Now feel my justice that knocks down the divine!"**_

With that the maquahuitl glowed brighter and began to overwhelm the horses flame. Finally, he swung down on Godou, carrying the horses flame with the club.

"I refuse to let it end like this!" cried Godou. **Boom!** A huge explosion resounded around them.

As the smoke cleared Godou lay on the ground, steaming but otherwise still intact.

"Godou!" Erica cried out. "Your Majesty!" Ena shouted. Her copy of Ama no Murakumo had vanished. The sword had truly been defeated.

" _ **Squared Haste!"**_ Laura ordered. Before Erica and Ena could react, she came at blinding speed and rammed her orb pointed staff against Ena's abdomen.

"Uffh!" Ena let out and proceed to collapse, unconscious, on the floor.

Just as Laura swung her whip at Erica, Erica cried **"Boots of Hermes!"** And jumped back, barely missing the whips assault.

"Ena-san!" Mariya cried out. Erica looked at Ena and then Laura in astonishment. "What magic could that possibly be?!" Erica wondered.

"Laura! Stop at once! Fall back! Do not fight any further!" ordered Ernesto.

"As you wish my lord" answered Laura. She retreated back towards the jungle entrance. Erica rushed over to Ena.

Ernesto turned back to Godou who still layed on the floor.

"You are truly fortunate, Kusanagi-san. That troublesome blade saved you from death. My prognosis was correct. That blade would be detrimental to my victory. Now will you let me take that woman?"

Godou had begun to rise and saw Ena laying on the floor as Erica picked her up. "Ena-san!" he cried. He then looked at Annie who still lay in Mariya's care, her breathing growing more shallow.

Godou then got up on his legs. "The answer to that is still a no. Now I have no choice but to force you to give up!" He looked at Ena and gave Laura a threatening stare. At this Laura, having seen the White Stallion, feared the worst and swung an icicle shard from her water whip at Godou.

He closed his eyes and began to chant. _**"Fear of the winged, both the evil and the powerful…"**_

"Laura!" cried out Ernesto but it was too late. The shard went flying with a high velocity at Godou as he finished his chant.

"… _ **All shall fear I who hold these feathered wings. My wings will bring you curse and just desserts!"**_

Just as the shard was about to collide with his body, Godou rushed out of its way and headed straight for Ernesto.

"He's activated his other authority! The Raptor!" Ernesto angrily cried out.

As he finished realizing it, Godou was upon him tucked fist in hand. He focused all his might and delivered a powerful blow straight into his stomach.

"Gaaah!" Ernesto cried out in pain and was sent flying back. He hit the ground hard and flipped over violently numerous times.

"That's for hurting Ena!" Godou bellowed. "Now give up!"

Ernesto groaned and slowly got up and began to slowly walk toward Godou. "So you think your godspeed will turn the tide of this battle for you?" He quickly did some hand motions and entered a strange battle stance. He began to build up his magic and his eyes became tinted gold. "Then come at me with that belief and I shall shatter it!" Ernesto yelled out.

"Haaaa!" Godou cried. This time he did a feint. He ran in a straight line then immediately sharply turned to attack Ernesto's side. But…

"I see it!" Ernesto's leg then smashed against Godou's left arm and sent him flying. "Gaaah!" Godou yelled. He hit the ground and stood back up, grabbing his injured arm. "So you can see through godspeed with your inner eye. Figures."

"Incorrect Kusanagi-san. I do not adhere to the more mystical ways of combating godspeed. I created my own way of combating it."

"What in the world?" Godou thought as he regained mobility in his arm. "He created his own counter to godspeed? Then I'll just have to keep my distance." Or so he thought.

At that very moment, Ernesto stomped the ground and flung himself straight at Godou with blinding speed.

Godou used the Raptor to run to his right to escape but Ernesto quickly used his feet to change direction. His fist was aimed at Godou. "Then I'll have to combat with my own way." Godou thought and ran at Ernesto and just as he was about to be hit, turned off his godspeed and did a sliding kick aimed for Ernesto's legs. 

"What?!" Godou shouted. **Swoosh!** Ernesto had dodged his strike and jumped over Godou. Upon landing, he turned to Godou and spoke, "So you have figured out the flaw in the mind's eye. It only works on opponents running in godspeed the entire time. But you will have to do better to counter my technique!" And once again he kicked off, fist tucked, at Godou.

Godou had no choice. He jumped sideways and backwards, but Ernesto kept sharply turning without sacrificing his momentum and followed him like a guided missile. Godou then looked toward where the girls where and made a decision. He focused all his energy and leaped toward them but…

Ernesto jumped along with him! He spun around in the air swinging his elbow at Godou. Godou managed to turn his body to dodge it. But following the elbow came his leg! **Crack!**

Godou was thrown to the ground but he used the Raptor to slow his descent. His heart began to hurt more.

"If I use it anymore, I won't be able to move." Godou softly pondered as he gripped his chest. He also felt his shoulder had cracked.

"What's the matter Kusanagi-san? Have you finally realized you cannot win? If so give me the girl!" ordered Ernesto. Yet he furrowed his brow. Godou showed a devilish smile.

"No. All it means is that I have to push myself further to beat you!" Godou replied. He temporarily turned off the Raptor and began to chant. _**"Every sinner shall tremble before my power. Now is the time that I obtain the toughness of ten mountains, the strength of a hundred rivers, and the power of a thousand camels! Upon my mighty self, I shall bear the symbol of the raging camel!"**_

The pain in his cracked shoulder began to dissipate and he charged at Ernesto. Ernesto dodged and threw him to the ground but Godou quickly kicked him with both his feet sending Ernesto, who shielded himself with his arms, flying.

"Ugh! What power!" Ernesto cried out as he rolled on the ground in pain. He stood back up and proclaimed "Still it won't be enough…"

"We'll see!" He kicked himself upwards to aim a downwards kick right at Ernesto.

Ernesto began to chant. _**"Unbridled rage, become my eyes…"**_ A bow manifested in his left hand, a gold arrow in his right. He readied the bow.

"What authority is this?" Pondered Godou. No sooner had he spoken that a sun appeared behind Godou.

"… _ **I seek to punish Tonatiuh for his arrogance!"**_ He shot the arrow which became a flaming eagle that flew right at Godou.

To evade, Godou re-activated the Raptor and accelerated his ascent, going over the flaming eagle. It sped past him and headed straight towards the new sun.

"That was too close! It nearly hit me…wait…no." He heard Ernesto continue to chant.

" _ **Prideful sun! Return my shot! That my foes may see the pitch black darkness of the soul and lose all hope!"**_

Godou turned around in mid-air. From the sun's direction came a black obsidian arrow.

Annie, using what was left of her voice, called out "That's the same arrow that hit me! Look out!"

Godou channeled his energy and slowed his descent as the arrow came, only just evading the arrow's path.

"Tch! Troublesome female." Ernesto complained. The arrow then struck him on his forehead and he was flung back into the trees.

Godou landed back on the ground. "Why did he kill himself?"

"Godou-san! Be careful! He is not dead yet!" cried Mariya. Just then, her eyes began to glow green and she received a vision. "God that opposes the sun yet carries light as well. God that represents justice and wind that blesses the people of this land. The one that brings the gift of knowledge to man." She snapped back to reality and yelled out "I know the god he defeated Godou-san!"

Godou smiled. Now he would be able to use the Warrior but from the woods he heard ominous cracking. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Laura was trembling in fear.

"He can't have activated that Authority…." She fearfully whispered.

 **Crack! Crunch! Screech! Crackle!** All those sounds came from the forest and filled everyone's ear. Then they suddenly stopped. Two red eyes began to glow and armored footsteps could be heard.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Godou whispered.

Out of the woods emerged Ernesto but he looked completely different. Covering his body was an armor of obsidian with sharp claws at the tips of his fingers and jagged edges of armor extending from his shoulders and joint areas. His head had a devilish looking helmet filled with horns extending from the back end like a crown. Where his eyes should have been only bloody crimson could be seen. The openings on the armor would glow scarlet and fade. The air around him turned frosty and hazy, slowly blurring his visage. He froze the earth with each step. He looked like a demon.

He then stopped and took a long look at Godou. Godou gulped. What the hell kind of Authority was this?

Then the monster began to quake its armor. The air around it began to violently thrash and extending its arms, let out a terrible howl. Then with a rabid growl it charged full speed at Godou.

He used the Camel and tried to evade the claws but he was too fast! He ripped open his shirt and left several gashes on Godou's chest. Godou jumped back but the monster quickly followed. He re-activated the Raptor and finally began evading the monsters strikes. Yet, he began to feel a splitting headache of using both authorities yet he had no choice but to bear it.

The strikes were that of a mad beast, clawing, ripping, kicking, pummeling, stomping, and thrashing at Godou. Yet they were precise and deadly, Godou could only evade through the Raptor's and Camel's combined aid.

But the pain within Godou's heart began to rise, as did his pain in his head and frost began to cover his body. He would not be able to keep this up much longer. He needed to get to the girls to activate the Sword.

He focused all his energy into the tip of his foot and let out a straight kick aimed at the monsters chest. Even then the monster was able to dodge it but then… **BOOM!** An explosion sent them both flying. Godou was flung backwards and the monster sideways. The girls caught Godou and took him immediately to Mariya.

Godou could not move. The raptor's after effects had finally set in. Furthermore, the Camel was used up and now the pain in his body began to come back.

"Mariya, heal Godou and give him the knowledge he needs. Liliana and I will deal with that monster." Erica ordered.

"Don't worry Godou-san! I will help you!" Mariya vowed. She slowly bent down and cradling Godou in her arms began to kiss him. Her lips were moist and warm. Healing magic began to roll from her tongue into Godou's mouth and he hungrily sucked on it.

"Godou-san…see all that I've seen." She then proceeded to give him her knowledge with each kiss, as their tongues wrapped around each other and Godou pulled her towards himself and voraciously explored her mouth. Finally, he saw it!

Both the girls charged forward and wielded their weapons but stopped when they heard Laura's voice.

"Please don't attack him!" Laura cried out.

"We have to protect our master, we will not be swayed by your words. If you wish to protect him, then come!" Liliana retorted.

"No! It isn't that! You won't be able to stand a chance against him! Please don't fight him!" Laura pleaded.

"Sorry Laura, we must do what we must to protect our Master." Erica replied as she began to chant. _**"Lion of Steel, to you, I entrust the words of power of lamentation and anger! Bathe in the holy blood of his last moments, and manifest yourself as the Holy Lance of Longinus!"**_

Liliana followed suit.

" _ **People, listen to the song of David's mourning! How the mighty have fallen, and their weapons of war perished! From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. O' bow of Jonathan, the warrior's weapon, fast as an eagle and strong as a lion. Descend into my hand now!"**_

In her hand, Jonathan's Bow appeared. She readied the arrows that began to burn with blue magic. Erica summoned multiple copies of the Longinus in the air aimed between the monster and Godou.

Monster Ernesto got up and looked at Godou's direction. He immediately charged, growling loudly. Erica and Liliana immediately attacked. _**"Go forth in assault, upon my fleeing enemies!"**_ Liliana cried as the arrows rushed towards the monster.

" _ **Spear of Longinus! Punish my enemies for their sins!"**_ Erica cried.

The girls were left shocked with what happened next.

The monster quickly caught the first two spears of Longinus and swung them around, repelling the other spears. Against the arrows, it turned its body and used the tips of the spears to destroy one of them. It threw the other spear to shield it from the second arrow and caught the third arrow as it bent back to avoid it.

It broke the arrow into pieces and smashed the other deflected spears. With that Erica reacted quickly.

" _ **Red bonds of the cross, pierce the Dragon's scales to gouge out its guts!"**_ she recited.

Immediately, the smashed pieces of the Longinus copies circled around Monster Ernesto and trapped him in a cage of divine steel.

"RAWWWWWWWHHHH!" Shouted Ernesto in rage.

Godou got up on his legs and proceeded to shout at Ernesto. "This ends now Ernesto!"

" _ **I am the strongest, I shall smash through all enemies in my way. O' blade belonging to the savior of the righteous, fragments of the glorious sun. Hereby serve the incarnation of victory!"**_ From beneath Godou, the sigil of the warrior manifested and the Golden Sword rose to meet its master.

At this Ernesto stopped thrashing the cage and looked at Godou. Laura looked in confusion and asked "Could it be King Kusanagi also has that power?"

"Divine wind provides salvation but also traps its enemies. That which overcomes light must either have stronger darkness or, in your case, light within itself. In these lands, there is a god that embodied both light and wind. It was the ancient feathered serpent!"

At this the whole area was enveloped in a golden dimension filled with golden swords. Ernesto finally understood the significance. He began thrashing and tearing at the steel cage to escape.

"The feathered serpent was a god that spanned the civilizations of Mesoamerica. The Olmecs were the first to worship a feathered serpent deity. The Mayans worshipped one too, they called him by many names, Kukulkan and Q'uq'umatz. Kukulkan was seen as the embodiment of the sky itself and a serpent of visions which allowed the Mayan kings to peer into the underworld."

At this, some golden swords flew at Ernesto, striking him in his cage. They broke pieces of his armor.

"GRRAAAAH!" He yelled. He finally broke the cage and rush towards Godou.

"Yet there was another civilization that was famed for their worship of a feathered serpent. They were the Nahua who then became the Aztecs!"

More swords descended on Ernesto but he managed to dodge their strikes.

"In both the Mayan and Nahua cultures, the feathered serpent was part of a trinity of agricultural deities with its role as the god of vegetational renewal. The Maya associated the feathered serpent with fertility and Venus which symbolized warfare and the beginning of the rainy season."

More blades descended. Ernesto grabbed a blade and deflected most of the blades while others buried into his back and torso.

"To the Aztecs, the feathered serpent was the boundary maker between the earth and sky. He was a creator deity essential to Mankind's creation. He was related to the gods of wind with his humanoid form Ehecatl, the planet Venus, the dawn, and was the patron god of Aztec priesthood for learning and knowledge. His serpentine coiling nature related him to other circular phenomena such as hurricanes, seashells and whirlpools."

The swords began to strike more often now and Ernesto's movements had become sluggish. His rage had instead become pain and struggle.

"In the Aztec pantheon, he was known as the White Tezcatlipoca that presides over the West. Being a god of light, justice, mercy and wind, he was the eternal rival of Tezcatlipoca, the god of judgment, night, deceit, sorcery and the Earth. As the morning star, he was known as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtil, who once attempted to shoot at Tonatiuh, the sun god, with arrows but missed and was in turn shot and transformed into the god of obsidian and coldness, Itztlacoliuhqui!"

At that the arrow that was in Annie dissolved. Annie had begun listening to Godou's words and began to understand. "If he's the rival of Tezcatlipoca then he is…"

The swords became more aggressive and stabbed into Ernesto whose armor had begun to fall apart. His face was visible and his sanity was slowly returning.

"For…you…to have…such power…I…" he choked.

"He journeyed to the underworld and resurrected the human race from bones of the previous races using his own blood thus he is known as a symbol of death and resurrection."

"Stop…Godou-san…you…should not…or else I…" Ernesto weakly pleaded.

"The god you slew was Quetzalcoatl! God of light who once knocked down the sun, the feathered serpent who embodied the wind, who was known as the serpent of visions that granted knowledge, who was known as Venus, the morning star, this is the divinity I sever!" yelled Godou

"GAAAAAH!" Ernesto screamed.

With that the golden dimension disappeared and Ernesto lay with his knees on the ground.

"Now I see, Words of Power that slice through my Authority. To think you would also have such a power as well." He slowly got up with cuts around his body.

"I've sealed your Authority over Quetzalcoatl. Now will you end this futile struggle?" Godou asked.

Just as he said that, Mariya's eye began to glow green. "Wait Godou! Do not sheath your sword! He's not defeated yet! He still has…"

"My dear Godou! You have sealed my only way to resurrect so now I can actually die." He looked at him with vicious eyes. "You have pushed me much too far and thanks to the Serpent of Visions I know you only have a few authorities left at your disposal. I only sought to kill that woman but now…I will have to destroy all of you who stand in my way."

Godou then remembered that Ernesto-san had mentioned that he gained _more Authorities_ from his time without communication with the outside world. He needed to think fast. But he couldn't get rid of the sword just yet since Maria told him not to. He saw El Castillo and Erica's voice came back to him. _"Apparently, it's one his favorite monuments."_ Godou gulped and cursed himself with his only option.

" _ **Thus speakth Lord Mithra. The sinful shall be met with justice."**_ Godou chanted. Pain begun to set in his head but he had no other choice.

The rage on Ernesto's face turned to fear. "Wait…you can't mean to…"

" _ **May spines be crushed, may bones be broken, tendons torn; hair, brains and blood mingled and trampled together with the earth."**_ A giant shadow had appeared in front of Godou aimed right at El Castillo. The pain intensified.

"No! You can't! You wouldn't dare!" Ernesto bellowed as he sprinted to the area between the shadow and the legendary monument.

" _ **The one unblunted and unapproachable! Oath breaking sinners be purged by the iron hammer of justice!"**_ Godou yelled out.

The Boar rose up from the earth and gave a loud roar "Rooooowwwwh!" It proceeded to charge at El Castillo with only Ernesto blocking its path.

"You bastard!" roared Ernesto. _**"Fear me! For I am the strongest that has single handedly overpowered hundreds…"**_ His magical energy began to rise and colorful feathers began to circle him.

" _ **I am the light that drives away the darkness, that which conquers the night. I am the victorious warlord who embodies the sun. Be scorched by my irrepressible might!"**_

Immediately the multitude of colorful feathers formed a ball around him and the boar charged forth.

"Grrrooooaaaah!" it yelled and then the feather ball exploded and out came Ernesto.

He burst forth with blue muscular skin, a golden plumed crown with red and turquoise feathers and traditional Aztec warrior clothing. On his head, he wore a blue-green hummingbird helmet and a black streak ran across his eyes. His eyes were bright and ferocious. He carried a shield in his left hand and a flaming blue snake in his right. Blue flames enveloped him.

"Raaahh!" He yelled as he struck the Boar with the flaming snake. The Boar stopped its charge and cried out in pain.

"Grooooooh!" it proceeded to attack Ernesto but the flaming serpent scorched the Boar's hide and kept knocking it back.

"To think he would have an authority to beat back the Boar alone." Godou commented with surprise.

"Godou! Hurry and gain the knowledge from Mariya!" Erica yelled.

"GRROOOWWWH! The Boar cried out in pain. The snake had taken out its eyes and now Ernesto prepared for the finishing blow.

" _ **The fate of my people rests on my victory! Your sacrifice shall feed my strength! Accept your fate!"**_

With those words the flaming snake enveloped and destroyed the Boar. Yet he then heard Godou speak once more.

"The hummingbird was a representation of the Aztec god of war."

The golden dimension returned!

"Impossible! He can use his authority once more?!" Ernesto's eyes were wide with shock. He recovered and hurled himself toward Godou's direction.

"Within the Aztec pantheon he was the patron deity of the Aztecs. While other gods shared some partiality to aspects of war, there was one who stood at the top as the deity of warfare. God of the sun and of human sacrifice, he required blood to fuel his power to combat his brothers and sisters, the four hundred male Centzonnuitzana and Coyolxauhqui."

"Cursed gold!" Ernesto cried out as he used his snake to beat back the golden swords.

"He rises in the daytime and returns to the underworld at night taking the souls of the dead with him to illuminate their way. So like Quetzalcoatl, he has aspects of light and reincarnation."

Ernesto clenched his teeth. "To think he can reuse the sword again for a different god!" He continued to burn away the golden swords thrown his way.

"Yet, he also carried the symbol of the snake in the form of his primary weapon, Xiuhcoatl. He is considered the spirit form of Xiuhtecuhtli, the turquoise lord of fire. Xiuhcoatl was seen as the embodiment of the dry season whereas Quetzalcoatl signaled the start of the rainy season. And like another aspect of Quetzalcoatl known to the K'iche Maya as Q'uq'umatz, was said to carry the sun across the sky and down into the underworld. Xiuhcoatl, too, guided Tonatiuh and Nanauatzin who were two different forms of the same sun god, across the sky into the underworld and served as his defense against his underworld enemies."

"Wait! His target isn't Huitzilopochtli! It's…" cried out Ernesto in astonishment.

"Xiuhcoatl is a divine serpent who signals the beginning of a season, it signifies light through its association with the sun and guides the sun through the sky and to the underworld thus signifying reincarnation! That is the divinity I break!"

Thus the golden swords began to attack not Ernesto but his beloved weapon, piercing its body and destroying its flames.

"Kusanagi Godou!" Ernesto cried out as he could do nothing to stop the destruction of his weapon.

The golden dimension faded and now the blue flames had dissipated and his blue snake was no more. Yet the Golden Sword finally disappeared, having been used up.

"So you're sword does have limits on the gods it can attack. Now you may have taken away my flame but you cannot take away my might!" With that he exploded top speed at Godou.

" _ **As the one who holds all victory in his hands, I am the strongest. Man and devil–all enemies, all who harbor enmity will be vanquished. Hence I shall smash through all enemies in my way!"**_

Extending his hands to meet Ernesto's Godou activated the Bull. Crash! A great crater was created where both Kings had clashed. They struggled to gain the upper hand on each other. They exerted all their strength to overtake the other as impressions began to be dug underneath them and the ground started to fold under the pressure.

"Why must you be so persistent!" Yelled Ernesto

"I could ask you the same question!" Godou retorted.

Ernesto then stomped on the ground and managed to pick Godou up. Godou retaliated by stomping off his chest and pushing Ernesto back.

Ernesto readied his fist and jumped at Godou but, Godou caught his arm and smashed him against the ground. Smash! But Ernesto got a hold of Godou's grabbing arm and flung him forward into the dirt. Crash!

Both godslayers got up, breathing heavily with their authorities still active.

"It seems we're evenly matched Ernesto-san" Godou replied with a smile.

"I hate to say it, but we indeed are in strength, so…what if I decided it to be a contest in magic instead!"

Ernesto shrunk back to his usual self and storm clouds began to form. Extending his right hand, he summoned lightning!

 **Blast!** Godou barely managed to dodge.

"What?! He can control lightning too?!" Godou remarked.

"Here! My gift for your insolence! Take it kindly and wholly!" Ernesto yelled as his flung a lightning bolt at Godou.

" _ **One who supports the heavens and spreads throughout the earth! Those who bestow grace and victory. Show me the proper path for I am noble!"**_

Raising his hands, he shielded himself from the lightning.

"We stand by your side Godou!" Erica called out.

Behind him were Erica, Liliana, and Mariya, who began to give him their life force.

"Still…this won't be enough." He used psychic sensing to search around yet there weren't any people he could call upon to help him.

But Mariya spoke, "Godou-san! I think you can throw back his lightning. He doesn't seem to be able to control it!"

Indeed, while the Sun King appeared to be shooting lightning, the lightning seemed to be trying to escape.

"Grrrh! Cursed restriction! Rahhh!" Ernesto yelled as he launched a ball of lightning at Godou.

Concentrating his magic, he caught the bolt and flung it back at Ernesto. **Blast!**

He was sent flying backwards. Still he got up still enraged. It still wasn't powerful enough to take him down!

"Tell me Ernesto!" Godou cried out, "Why do you want to kill Annie?!"

At this Ernesto hesitated and he lowered his head.

"Because…because…" He began to shake in anger. "Because…she allowed my friends to die!" he screamed.

"I have tried my best not to let anyone die. How can you accuse me of such a crime?!" retorted Annie.

"The last of the Mages of Centzon." He murmured.

At this Annie's eyes began to widen. Godou questioned "Who are they?"

This time, Annie responded, "Roughly ten years ago, I became a Campione by defeating Tezcatlipoca. The Mages of Centzon were an ancient organization that had bloodlines from famed magicians who aided me but in the process, the majority of them became too injured to fight anymore. They went from four hundred to seven in a single night."

"And what did you promise them! Tell me!" ordered Ernesto.

"I…I promised that I would protect them should they ever need me…" Annie replied.

"Then where were you?!" Ernesto retorted as lightning struck close, lighting up his infuriated face.

"Three months ago, they were taking care of me when a Heretic God was summoned. It began to terrorize the villages and we went forward to try to stop it. I was greatly wounded and they kept saying to not worry. They kept saying that a godslayer would come to their aid. Even as they fell one by one they believed it to their last dying breath! They believed in a savior that never came! THEY BELIEVED IN YOU AND YOU NEVER CAME!" Ernesto shouted at the top of his lungs.

At this tears began to run down Annie's cheeks. She had met the Mages of Centzon as a teen and though she was a foreigner, they welcomed her and taught her the basics of magic. To think that they were gone and she had not known.

"Stop this Ernesto! It is the Heretic God's fault that they were killed, not Annie's!" Godou replied.

"Godou-san…have you ever had a loved one die in your arms?" Ernesto softly asked. At this Godou froze.

"Have you ever seen them torn apart in front of you? Have you ever seen those you held dear in your heart violently taken away from you while you could do nothing?" He began to raise his voice.

"Have you ever felt the despair as they died trying to protect you and you could do nothing! TELL ME HAVE YOU?!" yelled Ernesto.

"No…I haven't." Godou softly replied.

"Then how can you stand there and lecture me on how I should feel if you've never felt that type of loss?!" Ernesto responded.

"I don't understand you Godou-san. You are a king and you love your companions very dearly but think nothing of allowing them to engage in battle with powers that are higher than they could ever reach? How is it that a King will hide behind his subjects?"

"How would you feel if you lost one of your lovers in a battle, Godou-san? Would you not despair? Would you not swear revenge on whoever took them away from you?" Ernesto continued to ask.

Godou then thought of the time he almost lost Erica in the astral plane. He thought of all the times the girls had near death experiences through the battles they had. He knew he would have probably felt the same way Ernesto now felt. But still…

"Still! How can you blame Annie for such a tragedy?!" Godou demanded.

"It's simple. Because she never came back." Ernesto coldly accused.

"The Mages of Centzon awaited her return but she never once came back. They heard stories of her exploits but knew nothing more. They held on to her promise and that is what led them to challenge the god. They believed that somehow, she would come and save them. And you know what each of them said when they died?" Ernesto asked Annie.

Annie couldn't reply. Her tears enveloped her face and she could only stifle a moan.

"Please don't forget us…" Ernesto replied and his despair finally overwhelmed him.

"RAAAAAAAAHHHH!" He cried out and wept as lightning bolts began to rain from the sky.

"Master! Ahhh!" cried out Laura as she was blown back by a lightning strike.

'This is bad.' Godou thought as he cast a divine barrier to defend against the lightning. 'I won't be able to hold out if this continues!'

"Ernesto! Don't do this!" Godou cried out.

Despite the chaos, Annie got up and began to walk to Ernesto.

"Annie, what are you doing?" questioned Godou.

As tears ran down her face she spoke "Ernesto, if it relieves your pain, then kill me. But just make sure you promise to protect not only this country but my city as well."

Having heard this, the lightning bolts stopped and Ernesto looked at Annie with clenched teeth and tears running down his face.

"Annie! Don't do it! I can still save you!" cried Godou.

"Don't worry about me Godou." Annie said as Ernesto began to forcefully charging a powerful lightning bolt. As he raised his hand to unleash his power, Annie spoke again. "Just live. Live on for me."

Hearing this Ernesto froze in position.

He lowered his head and as his lightning bolt quickly dissipated from his hand and, without warning, he fell to his knees. "To think you would say the same thing they said to me…What have I become?" Ernesto weakly spoke as he clenched the ground beneath him.

He continued. "Here I am no hero, I am only a villain spilling blood for my own selfish reasons. I'm no better than Quetzalcoatl."

"I'm sorry Annie. I'm sorry Godou. I was wrong. Taking your life won't bring them back. All we can do is live for them. I'm…I'm so sorry for everything I've done." Ernesto said.

Annie bent down and hugged Ernesto, "I'm sorry too! I should have been there…"

Laura ran over to comfort her master as well. "Ernesto-san please don't weep, we understand."

Godou collapsed back onto the girls and said "Well I'm glad those two worked it out."

After Ernesto and Annie had both calmed down he rose and said "My apologies Kusanagi-san. Thanks to you I have avoided making a terrible mistake. I am forever in your debt." He proceeded to bow.

"Don't worry! I'm just glad you're back to your normal self. But could you promise me not to fight me again." Godou requested.

"Of course. And here, as a sign of mending our friendships, I give you this." He raised his hand to the sky and chanted _**"Oh Lord of Thunder and Rain, please bless us with your bountiful life giving waters. Release them from the hands of the enemy and give us the gift of healing. May the land sing praise to your act of valor!"**_

At this a divine rainfall began. Everyone's wounds began to heal even Godou's as healing rain fell in his open mouth. Even the broken ground and trees began to re-grow and repair themselves until they were lush once more.

"What authority is this Ernesto-san?" Godou asked.

"I call it the Merciful Gift of the Heavens." He replied. "It is a useful gift to repair the damage done to the environment from my battles. The only drawback for people is that it only heals your wounds, it doesn't revitalize your energy. Uh….So…it really…" At this both he and Annie collapsed into Laura's arms, both completely exhausted.

"Well I appreciate the gesture." Godou replied as he too passed out.


	5. Chapter 4: Mended Hearts & a New Journey

Chapter 4

Godou woke up in a hospital bed. The girls were lying around him having fallen asleep waiting for him to wake up.

Next to him lay Annie, and next to her lay the Sun King reading a book.

"Ahhh Kusanagi-san. You are awake!" He exclaimed while putting down his book. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh I think I'm feeling a lot better." Then he looked around and added, "Where are we?"

"Ahhh we are in a local chapter of the Sixth Sun. This is one of our hospital facilities." Ernesto explained.

"Oh I see. How's Annie doing?" Godou asked.

"Ahh well thanks to your sword and my healing rain, she has recovered much more quickly than expected." He said with a smile.

Then Godou remembered something that had been bugging him. "Hmmm…I've been wondering Ernesto-san. How did you make such an arrow? Creating something that can put a Campione near death is pretty scary not to mention was probably incredibly difficult." His thoughts drifted to the arrow of the King of the End that the Princess of the Glass had given him.

"Ahhh well that arrow was made by concentrating my Morning Star authority to create a physical representation of it. To be honest, it is extremely draining and it usually takes a full week for me to recover." Ernesto confessed.

Godou then remembered the obsidian arrow that was shot back from the sun during their fight.

"So that black arrow that almost hit me…?"

"Yes, that arrow has great power and will incapacitate anyone who it struck by it including gods and now that I have seen it, Campione. It excludes me since it activates my authority." Ernesto clarified.

"Wow…so what are you going to do now Ernesto-san?" Godou asked.

"Well I'm probably going to Egypt in a couple days. I was asked by an associate for some aid. Apparently, they are having trouble and wish for my aid." Ernesto answered.

"Wait, didn't you say that no one knew about you being a Campione until I came?" Godou asked

"Indeed this is true but when I was younger I did make some contacts in the Middle East. Now that I re-opened communications, and old friend told me their situation and I volunteered to help." Ernesto replied.

"Now if we could only have Annie agree to our alliance, we'd have another member to depend on when the time comes to defeat the King of the End." Ernesto added.

"Wait, Annie is going to join?" Godou suddenly blurted out.

Annie lifted herself up and answered, "Well if Kusanagi-san is part of it then I'll join. Just don't try to kill me anymore Ernesto-san."

"You have my word." Ernesto cheerfully said.

"Now do you want to go? We still have some unfinished business." Annie asked Ernesto as she got up from her bed.

"Of course!" Ernesto replied.

"Wait, where are you guys going?" Godou asked.

"Oh we're just going to run an important errand." Ernesto simply responded.

"By the way, I'll make sure you and your lovers have all the privacy you need. Let's go Annie."

As Annie and Ernesto walked out the door, Godou cried out "Wait! You're still misunderstanding me Ernesto-san! I'm not…"

 ***Click*** The door was locked. With that the girls had all begun to wake up.

"Ara, Good morning Godou!" Erica sweetly spoke as she stretched.

"Your Majesty! You are all better now right?" Ena asked with a sleepy grin.

Mariya yawned and asked "Is it okay if we sleep a bit more?"

Liliana rubbed her eyes and agreed. "Staying up all night was exhausting."

"I have an idea! Since Godou feels all better, why don't we all snuggle with him?" Erica proposed.

"That sounds like a great idea Erica-san" Ena replied grinning.

"Yes, it sounds like the best option." Mariya sleepily responded while becoming cozy around Godou's leg.

"Yes I agree." Liliana added.

"Well good night Godou" Erica said as she yawned.

Once again he was in bed with the girls as their bodies squeezed up against him.

"When will this end?" Godou wondered.

"So here it is huh?" Annie asked as she looked upon a field with lush grass as the wind softly blew over it.

"Yes. Follow me." Ernesto replied.

Following after Ernesto, Annie began to feel her heart grow heavy.

She still hadn't quite come to grips with the reality that the very people that helped her were gone now.

Even so, she still had a lovely bouquet of an array of roses of red and white in her hands.

"Umm…I had a question." Annie softly began. "What did Quetzalcoatl do exactly that made you and the Mages go and fight him?"

"As you know, Quetzalcoatl was once one of the primary deities of the Aztec Empire. With its fall, the worship of Quetzalcoatl fell as well."

"Yes, I remember the history of the conquest. Tezcatlipoca also suffered a fall as well. But when he descended he wanted to return to the old ways of worship with him as the most powerful. Is that what Quetzalcoatl did?"

"No, not at all. He started to target the very worshippers of the faith that slew him."

"You mean those of the Christian faith?" Annie exclaimed.

"Exactly. Churches, statues of saints, priests, nuns, and the common folk who prayed to the Christian God all became targets. In his eyes, they were blasphemers who abandoned the gods of old and joined their enemies despite the way their ancestors had suffered. In his eyes, it was absolutely shameful and he was merely rectifying this travesty."

"To think the benevolent Quetzalcoatl would turn so violent." Annie replied. "So then you and the Mages went to stop him and…" She couldn't finish the thought.

"Yeah." Ernesto simply said with a serious look on his face.

"Um…I also wanted to ask, how on earth did you establish yourself and your organization as the primary magical association in Mexico in just three months?" Annie curiously wanted to know.

"That was due to a fight with a Heretic God after I slew Quetzalcoatl." Ernesto responded.

"You mean Huitzilopochtli?" proposed Annie. "Thanks to you using your Authority last night, we had to walk here instead of teleporting using your wind authority. Too bad you need a day and sunlight to unseal them. And to think the cost of Huitzilopochtli's authority would be a day's sun. He must have been very hard."

"No, he was after. The one I faced was a God of Steel. Did you ever wonder why I sealed Godou's authority over Ama no Murakumo rather than waiting for his Golden Sword?" Ernesto asked.

"Yeah, I would guess that with your Serpent of Visions, such a powerful authority would tend to show up somehow."

"It would pulsate in the back of my mind with every strike but there is another reason. Like I said before, the Aztec Empire and its gods fell with the Spanish Conquest. Yet, this can seem to mean that the gods of old were conquered by a foreign invention they brought with them. Namely, Steel."

"So you mean to say that, your authorities of Quetzalcoatl are useless against Gods of Steel?" Annie questioned.

"Not useless, just not strong enough to completely slay them." Ernesto clarified.

"But I know that in battles between gods of Steel and Serpents which are usually tied to the Gods of Earth that the gods of Steel would always triumph."

"Ahhh but Quetzalcoatl is not bound to the earth but the sky. He does have very similar characteristics to various other gods of the earth that have the image of the serpent but, being a god of wind and sky and a former sun sets him apart. This gave me the power to at least challenge that troublesome god."

Annie's curiosity grew. "How did you beat them then? Didn't you get some authorities from them?"

"I never beat them. I only incapacitated them." Ernesto replied with a sigh.

Annie became incredibly confused. "Incapacitated? Meaning?"

"I was able to seal their divinity and deplete enough of their magical energy to force them to slumber for a while."

"So what was this god's name?" Annie asked.

"I don't know." Ernesto replied.

"Don't know? How do you sever their divinity and knock them out if you don't even know who they are?" It didn't make any sense in Annie's mind.

"Well, it's tied to how I incapacitated them. I used my first authority, the Plumed Serpent."

"I thought you told me that it only allows you to resurrect? How does it tie into defeating the god?"

"Well it allows me to resurrect after the second daybreak at a nearby shrine of Quetzalcoatl in its standby state but when I use it, I can summon a manifestation of Quetzalcoatl upon the world that maintains all my other authorities and ignores the sealing that comes from use with some differences."

"What?! And you didn't use that against us? I feel that is much too overpowered." Annie shockingly replied.

"It's not as easy as it sounds. For one, the Plumed Serpent becomes a big target and is easier to hit than me. But more importantly, its restriction or rather its price is extremely high. I have parts of my body wounded and am forcibly dragged into the underworld, through all the rubble. And I experience intense pain throughout the duration of the battle."

"So if you summon the snake, you don't remember anything?"

"No, I do remember what happens despite the pain. The problem was when I summoned it against that God of Steel, while I severely beat them; they managed to kill my manifestation."

"What does that mean?" Annie asked.

"It meant that due to my failure of preventing its demise, I was trapped in the underworld until the next sunrise experiencing even more intense degrees of pain. I woke up a week later with no idea what happened during the battle, let alone who it was against." Ernesto explained.

"So the reason you doubled down, went god-slaying and began to run things was because…"

"Yes, because of that God of Steel. The god-slaying part on the other hand was really due to a troublesome organization. I'll tell you about them another time. Anyways, we're here."

They approached a set of intricately crafted marble tombstones. On each of them were the names of the seven Mages of Centzon.

Annie kneeled down and laid down the flowers and wept in silence.

"We'll always remember you. I promise."


End file.
